July 2019 - Back Office Betties

Radical Candor – July’s Book Brief

July 31, 2019

As you know, the Betties team reads an enticing new book each month in order to share our notes and takeaways with you. This month, we read Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott.

This guide to being a better boss offers a simple ideation that you have to both challenge and care. Without one or the other, your management style is severely lacking and not nearly as effective as you hope to be. Kim Scott has a reputation of leading at Google as well as Apple, where she developed a class on how to be a good boss. Her real-life stories and insightful advice truly round out her expertise in being an effective manager to give us this fabulous book.

Some of our most valuable takeaways include:

1. Every team needs rockstars and superstars.

A rockstar is like the Rock of Gibraltar and you can always lean on them and depend on them. They are steady and brilliant at what they do and they are not gunning for the next promotion. A superstar does an equally great job but they will go absolutely crazy if they are still in the same job a year from now. Use this to build a strong team that will grow with you.

2. Create a path for growth for frontline workers.

Give them a path that comes with better wages and opportunity, without having to be a management path. Make it more attractive than the management path, because people will often gravitate to that thinking it’s their only choice. This is how to nurture your superstars.

3. Avoid a shit sandwich.

This goes against everything we have always been taught but there is no good bad good balance that should be sought out. Praise the good and be candid about the bad. When you force yourself to package something like the s*** sandwich, it’s insincere and people will see right through it.

4. Encourage discussion of problems.

This is where creativity is at its finest. When you tell people to bring you solutions, it shuts down the creative process of having that discussion around the problem. Create a process for suggestions with something like a vote up or down, then provide feedback to your staff on what happened to their idea.

5. What can I do (or stop doing) that will make it easier to work with me?

Ask this of your subordinates, and during skip meetings, ask team members the same question of their manager. Always work to improve in the way you manage your staff.

6. Make it your personal business to find out the hopes and dreams each of the people who work under you.

Whether it’s business or personal, if you find out what they want to do and then can coach them or somehow tie that into what they are doing now, it gives them purpose. For example, a girl at Google wanted to run a spirulina farm (which is a far cry from her work at Google). Her manager listened to her dream and offered to mentor her on being a leader. When she’s ready to leave and start that farm, she will be a capable leader.

Have you read Radical Candor?

How has it helped you improve your management style?

Getting to Know ClientRock | A New Integration

July 24, 2019

There’s a new integration in town! That is, in Back Office Betties town.

We use many integrations to easily handle scheduling appointments and client intakes for our attorneys’ callers. ClientRock is a fabulous new addition to this list.

The Start of ClientRock

While speaking with Bryan Marble, the founder of ClientRock, we discovered that he started this service after interviewing attorneys on what their greatest need was. They all agreed that they just wanted a simple intake process. There was no need for bells and whistles; just a streamlined process to get answers to their most important questions and the ability to sign off “yes” or “no” when determining if they would accept the new client.

Bryan’s wife was an employment attorney so he knew firsthand that most of them were using Word documents, or worse, handwriting information on paper. Bryan sought to create an automated process so easy that anyone, even without technical skills, could get an account up and running in no time.

Client Intake Made Easy

When asked about his service, Bryan says, “We make intelligent assumptions and have created an intuitive system that is easy to use.” Could there be anything better than that?

ClientRock has many great features, including easy integration into Clio, Outlook, Google, and LawPay.

Full concierge setup includes a phone call with Bryan himself. He sets your account up without you having to give it another thought. Just log in and go!

Once your account is set up, everything from lead to matter conversion in Clio or Practice Panther is taken care of. Fee Agreements and non-engagement notices are automated, consultation fees are paid in a snap, and your client has the option to see your availability should they need to reschedule a meeting.

Simplicity Makes the Difference

If you’re looking to make things easier on yourself, ClientRock is the way to go for client intake. Say goodbye to the days of messy setup and overwhelming features, say hello to a streamlined process that you don’t even have to think about!

You can try ClientRock free for your first 5 intakes, no credit card is required. Let us know what you think!

Not a Back Office Betties client yet? Schedule a call with our Growth Solutions Strategist to see if we’re a good fit!

5 Ways to Shave Off One Working Hour Each Day

July 17, 2019

What could you do with an extra hour in your work day? Would you cut your day short to spend more time with your family? Would you be able to take on extra cases? How about start working on that new venture you’ve been thinking about? We’ve compiled a list of 5 simple ways to shave off one working hour each day.

Save Time in Your Day

Batch your tasks.

The first tip on the list is one of our favorites. If you are not familiar with batching your tasks, this means to sit down and block out certain chunks of times for similar tasks. Say you need to return client messages: Block out 2 hours to do so and get them all out of the way for the week so that you can move on and cross this off your to-do list. When we switch between tasks repeatedly, our productivity levels go down and we waste time on getting refocused. Batching tasks is a fabulous solution!
Eliminate distractions.

If you are ready to sit down and batch your tasks, it is important to use your time wisely without getting distracted. Turn your phone over so your notifications don’t grab your attention, lock your office door so nobody interrupts you, and stay off of social media. This goes back to bouncing between tasks; stay focused to save time!
Plan your day in advance.

You may never be able to predict an urgency that pops up, but you can do your best to plan your day in advance. Sit down and block out time slots for certain tasks, take account of important appointments, and have a strong overview of the day ahead. Try not to stray, as this really affects your productivity and can quickly add time to your work day.
Hire an answering service.

Phone calls are a total time-suck. If you try and do other things while on the call, your client will notice they do not have your full attention. If you try to take every single call, your day can float right on by you and you find yourself still at the office at 9 pm because your work isn’t finished. Hiring an answering service gets your calls answered and important messages delivered to you, without the need for you to talk to every single caller. Hello, time freedom!
Schedule some R&R.

This may seem counterintuitive, but a brain that is always go go go will never be as productive as the brain that has space to decompress. Be sure to schedule some time to do something you enjoy in order to have yourself in your best state of mind. Rest and relaxation will keep you functioning at your highest levels and save you time in your overall productivity.

Implement These Time-Saving Tips

Which of these tips will you take on first? Start with at least one today and see just how much time you can save!

If you’d like to gain some insight on the time freedom that comes with delegating your phone calls to an outside party, request a call with our Growth Solutions Strategist today.

The Definitive Guide to Hiring an Answering Service

July 10, 2019

What even is an answering service? Why would a business hire one? Wouldn’t my clients be able to tell they didn’t actually reach my office?

Answering services aren’t a new concept but they are still mysterious. If you’ve ever wondered if you should hire an answering service or virtual receptionist, read on! Back Office Betties is taking this opportunity to answer all of your burning questions and more.

What is an answering service?

An answering service is a company that answers any incoming calls for your business. They can answer FAQs, schedule appointments, and transfer important calls to you when necessary.

Why should I hire an answering service?

Businesses hire answering services for different reasons, but the common denominator is that it will save you time. By having someone else answer your phones, you are no longer a slave to your phone and can focus on your actual work.

Answering Service vs Receptionist

If you haven’t hired a receptionist yet, you probably have avoided it due to the cost, right? Receptionists need office space, computer equipment, salary, paid time off, etc.

If you have a business that has constant traffic through your doors, a receptionist may be the right option for you because you need someone to greet people anyway. But for small businesses that don’t have that traffic, an answering service may be the route to go.

An answering service can do everything that a receptionist does (except sit at a desk in your office, of course) for a much lower cost. There is no overhead, no paid time off, and no supplying of equipment.

Answering services offer different services depending on which company you choose to work with, but some of the most popular services offered are:

Call Screening (buh-bye solicitors!)
Client Intake
Appointment Scheduling
Calendar Management
Answering of FAQs
Transfer of Urgent Calls
Message Forwarding

Can my clients tell you’re not in my office?

Ah, onto the real burning question! This one depends. If you choose an answering service that bounces back and forth between different types of businesses, maybe. If you choose one that operates like a call center, probably. Choose a niche answering service that specializes in your type of small business and it’s highly unlikely.

Back Office Betties specializes in small law firms and, unless your client is standing in your office when they call, they will not even know the difference!

What should I look for in an answering service?

When looking into hiring someone to answer your phones and assist your business, you want to be sure that the company you are contemplating will offer everything you need.

Can they set appointments? Can they fill out a client intake form? Are they able to send your phone messages to you immediately? What about email management? Do they integrate with your current processes? Can they set up new, more effective processes?

The best way to make sure that these things can all be taken care of is to ensure that you are actually hiring a company that offers virtual receptionist services. Virtual receptionist services are elevated answering services, and can really let you get back to the work that only YOU can do.

Before hiring, check out their reviews

Now that you know to look for a niched virtual receptionist, head to some review sites and see what other businesses in your field have to say. Google reviews are always reliable, but there are also many niche review websites, such as Lawyerist, that can give you a firm grasp on what your colleagues think of any specific company.

Give them a try!

Once you’ve narrowed it down to a couple of companies you would like to potentially work with, test them out! A great virtual receptionist service will allow you to actually see the benefits of their service without any strings attached.

Good luck on your journey to hiring an answering service!

Avoid this #1 Bar Complaint

July 3, 2019

Client satisfaction keeps us all in business. When we fail to meet the needs of our clients, they complain. In the case of Law, clients can file their grievances with the bar. By making this one mistake, you put yourself and your firm at risk. Read on to find out more about this number one bar complaint and how you can avoid it.

Number One Bar Complaint

Per this statistical analysis found in the files of Mitchell Hamline School of Law, “The most common complaint nationwide is a ‘failure to communicate.’ Attorneys must communicate with their clients…”

Read that again. The number one complaint nationwide is a failure to communicate.

Page 648 of this journal reinforces the rule that states:

A lawyer shall: (1) promptly inform the client of any decision or circumstance with respect to which the client’s informed consent, as defined in Rule 1.0(e), is required by these Rules; (2) reasonably consult with the client about the means by which the client’s objectives are to be accomplished; (3) keep the client reasonably informed about the status of the matter; (4) promptly comply with reasonable requests for information; and (5) consult with the client about any relevant limitation on the lawyer’s conduct when the lawyer knows that the client expects assistance not permitted by the Rules of Professional Conduct or other law.107

Keeping your clients in the loop should be a no-brainer, but sometimes your workload is too heavy and you just do not have the time to answer every call.

So how do you avoid this complaint?

Avoiding the Number One Bar Complaint

Clearly, your clients just want to be in the loop on their law-related matters. We’ve listed a few ways to help ease the communication frustrations below.

Use your support staff.

Clients don’t always need to speak with an attorney. Oftentimes, they just want to know a status update. This is a great opportunity to have your receptionist return the call and provide a quick update such as, “We have not heard back yet, but expect to have a reply within four weeks. We will call you as soon as we receive an update.”
Protect your time.

Your time is precious. Don’t get bogged down by stacks of phone messages! Have your receptionist set up return calls. Many of our clients use a time-blocking system and return calls during a specific block of time each day.
- Tip: Use a timer at meetings. Let clients know that out of respect for their time and your schedule, you will be setting a timer up to avoid accidentally running over. This sets the tone with the client that your time is also valuable. The meeting will start and end on time, saving you from time vampires.
Set expectations.

If you are unable to promptly return a call, let the client know when they can expect a return call, then follow up on time as promised.

If you already have a receptionist, consider passing these tips on to them so they can help you help your clients. If you haven’t hired a receptionist and are finding yourself feeling overwhelmed by the volume of calls you receive, give us a call at 800-958-8591. We’ll always answer!*

*during our business hours of 5am-5pm PT, M-F